Mercedes-Benz just made another massive investment in Chinese automotive technology - but once again, NIO is nowhere in the picture. After partnering with ByteDance last week, Mercedes has now acquired shares in Qianli Technology, a Geely-backed company that just filed for a Hong Kong IPO worth billions.

In this episode, we break down the Qianli Technology IPO filing, analyze their $3.1 billion revenue structure, and explore why Mercedes is systematically investing in Chinese tech partners while avoiding NIO entirely. We'll cover Qianli's three AI-native solutions (intelligent driving, smart cockpits, and Robotaxi), their relationship with Geely, and what this means for the broader EV landscape.

Key Topics Covered:

• Qianli Technology's Hong Kong IPO filing and financials
• Mercedes-Benz's 3% stake acquisition in September 2025
• Why Qianli is burning $400M+ annually on R&D
• The genius behind Qianli: Yin Qi from Megvii (worth $1.4B)
• Geely's deep integration with Qianli (50% of procurement)
• Mercedes' desperate strategy in China (sales down 19% in Q2 2025)
• Why Mercedes chose ByteDance and Qianli over NIO
• What this pattern means for NIO's future strategy
• The Chinese tech ecosystem's dominance in automotive AI

This is a continuation of our Mercedes-ByteDance discussion, examining the bigger pattern of legacy automakers buying their way into Chinese innovation. As always, we keep it objective, entertaining, and educational - whether you're a NIO bull or just interested in the EV market transformation.

If you're invested in NIO, Mercedes, Chinese EVs, or the future of automotive technology, this analysis breaks down what's really happening behind the headlines.

October 18th, 2025 | Courtside Financial Podcast

#NIO #MercedesBenz #ChineseEVs #QianliTechnology #ElectricVehicles #AutomotiveNews #EVInvesting #GeelyCars #AutonomousDriving #AIinCars

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